1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an assembly of bottle carriers especially for handling by palletizing machinery, an assembly plate for such assemblies and to a method of palletizing bottle carriers.
2. Background of the Invention
Frequently bottle carriers, for example for soft drink bottles, are formed as a rectangular frame having two rows of three bottle carrying cells. One reason for this is for convenience of the domestic consumer, since it has become apparent that carriers for many more than six bottles are less convenient for a variety of reasons which may include weight and expense. Various prior art bottle carriers are directed to bottle carriers for six bottles such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 210,930 to Box, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 160,608 to Jones, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 202,303 to Struble, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 237,686 to Torokvei, U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,805 to Stockman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,517 Torokvei issued Aug. 9th, 1977.
For handling prior to delivery to the domestic consumer, however, carriers of six bottles are inconveniently small. Therefore, it is usual to first assemble the carriers in pairs to form cases of twelve bottles and thereafter to stack a plurality of cases into pallets, each layer of which is formed of a plurality of cases. Usually the cases (pairs of carriers) or the layers of the pallet, stand on a tray with an upstanding rim or are banded together by a peripheral band. In this case, it is common that abutting surfaces between cases in a layer of a pallet are not aligned but that the cases in a layer are arranged for example in rows of four cases having their short sides parallel, (each short side comprising the long side of a carrier and corresponding to three bottles) and three cases having their long sides parallel, (each long side comprising two short sides of carriers and corresponding to four bottles). Such, and similar, arrangements may aid stability to the pallet.
Torokvei, in previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,517, discloses a bottle carrier having a recess in its base into which a handle of an empty bottle carrier in a lower layer fits when the empty cases are stacked. This is intended for space saving and to provide stability to the stack of empty carriers. Such a bottle carrier may be provided with a downwardly extending tongue lying between adjacent bottles as shown in registered Design No. 45580.